["Shen Donghai, from when my daughter's life became equal to the little compensation? Do you forget who I am? Or do you not feel necessary to consider it now?"]
Li Xue sat upright on her chair at the dining table as the words of Shin Tingming continuously played in her thoughts. She doesn't know if it was the tone used by the man that carved those words so strong in her thoughts, or was it the warmth it held. But now she could just not erase them from her memories. The feeling and emotion it gave were so genuine that for once she even believed that she was their daughter for real. No doubt Shen Donghai walked away with such fury. He might have felt it absurd as well.
Though in her thoughts, she realized that her plate was getting filled slowly by slowly. But she was still in the dilemma. Should she even move her fork or not? The man's gesture was too surreal to believe all of a sudden.
She looked up at Shin Tingming and was not sure. Her hold was easing and tightening around the spoon and fork in her hands but however she was thinking, she was just not getting sure of it.
Shin Tingming noticed her gaze on himself and halted stuffing the food on her plate to ask with utmost casualness. "What happened? Is the food not of your taste?"
Li Xue shook her head in denial before looking down on her plate, clearing her throat. "Nope, everything is fine." She said, her lips curling awkwardly.
Shin Tingming also looked down at her plate that was still untouched. "Then why aren't you eating?" He asked and Chen Rui as well looked. She could understand the awkwardness the girl might be feeling at the sudden turn of things. But she was no longer thinking to shield her from it. Though every time she has come to her aid, this time she wanted to let her face it alone. Only after she faces it alone, she would be able to make the adjustments required.
Li Xue looked at the lady for understanding, but instead of helping her out in it, Chen Rui simply encouraged her husband's words. "If not of your taste, you can always ask the people to change it, Xiao Xue. Don't think too much."
She said and Li Xue helplessly nodded before finally forking the salad into her mouth. But her movements were really slow. Looking at her anyone could say she was lost in thoughts. At this moment, she really missed Feng Shufen. But she knew she couldn't force him too much. So when earlier he said that he would come after the breakfast to pick them up to leave, she didn't reject.
And now she could only handle it alone.
"Mama, you have never had your food so slowly. Then why are you different today? Is it for the wound on the neck? Should WeiWei apply the ointment for you?" Little WeiWei, who had been sitting nearby with Shin You Jun as well looked at her mother with concern. Her brows tugged together in worry.
Li Xue looked at her and shook her head before pulling her lips in a frail smile. "Ahh, it's okay, sweetie. I applied it earlier. I am fine now. It's just that Mama is thinking something." To ease the little out of her worry, she said before turning to give the same smile to others at the table.
Chen Rui reciprocated her smile while Shin Tingming paused his eating to look at the girl. His expression turned serious with some thought.
Li Xue at first didn't realize his such gaze but when heard his voice, she turned up to face him with utmost sincerity. For once, her expressions did not show any awkwardness but just the obedient concentration to hear him.
"Xiao Xue, I might have been hasty to announce this before, making you awkward there. But I am not the person to take back my words, neither I feel it necessary. I can see my words earlier have made you awkward, but what I said there, was the truth. You are my daughter and I won't allow anyone to take that one thing easy."
Shin Tingming spoke. Though he knew he wasn't very clear with her actual intention and meaning, he still tried his best to let the girl know the importance she held in his life and family. He wanted to reveal the truth of him being her real father, but there was still something that scared him from doing it.
What if blames comes his way? Though he knew the blames were inevitable and he deserved it, he still was cautious in revealing it. He just doesn't want to lose her, finding her so long after.
Chen Rui understood the struggle of his husband and internally she felt proud of him. After all, it wasn't easy to accept one's mistake this easily. It was already great that the man was trying his best. And she was sure that soon he would be able to confess it in front of the girl as well.
Her hands reached out to hold his. Shin Tingming turned to look at her and they both exchanged a gaze. Her lips curled up in encouragement as a nod accompanied after. The man understood what she meant and nodding to her, he turned to look back at Li Xue.
The girl was already looking at him. Though her expression wasn't too clear to his understanding, he still tried to read before saying. "As you have heard today, it's not easy to become our daughter. Though we already see you as ours, to make people believe, we want to officially register you under our name. Are you okay with it?" He asked and in his askance like that, there was a trepidation visible.
Li Xue could see it clearly in his eyes. But things were sudden for her as well. She doesn't know why suddenly everything around was moving so fast forward. "Register under your name? You mean adoption?"
She asked and Chen Rui was first to shake her head in rejection to clear the misconception.
"Nope, Xiao Xue. Registering you under our name is not adoption. How could we adopt you when you have always been ours? You have been our daughter so we just want to get you added in the royal tree, same as we did for You Jun when he was a kid." She said and it only confused Li Xue more.
Though the difference between the adoption and registration was clear to her. She couldn't understand the need for it. Somewhere now she felt like there was something she was unaware of. Like things weren't as simple as they looked.
"Is there something that I don't know?" Feeling suspicious inside, Li Xue didn't intend to hide. So being all straightforward, she asked alternating her gaze between Shin Tingming and Chen Rui. "I feel like there is something that I …"
Before she could complete saying her suspicion, a voice at a distance interrupted, halting everyone at the spot. "She won't be getting registered under the name of royals. At least not until she wants to."
Li Xue turned on that voice.. As looking at the man, she raised her brows in confusion. "Shufen!"
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶